Meaning: n/a
Pairing: DiexKaoru; ToshiyaxShinya, KyoxShinya and KyoxToshiyaxShinya implied
Type: PWP with the barest scrap of plot to tie it together
Rating: R
~*~*~*~*~
Chapter Two
Kaoru and Kyo adamantly refused to leave Shinya’s chambers, even though the Elfling had been settled into bed and the
healer had pronounced him perfectly fine. Of course Toshiya and Die had no choice but to stay. Kyo had waited, very
impatiently as he shifted from foot to foot and glared at the various healers, until everyone had backed away sufficiently
for him to break through. Now he lay curled around Shinya’s side, head pillowed on Shinya’s arm, glaring at everyone who
came within three feet of them. Kaoru decided he shouldn’t mention that Kyo also looked rather like an overgrown doll. Die
and Toshiya stood by the foot of the huge bed, both stoically ignoring the looks they received from the servants – the prince
thought he could almost feel the awe the two prostitutes were in at the sight of such wealth and luxury. It made Kaoru
wonder what kind of life they had lead; what had made them turn to selling their bodies to stay alive. Why such beauty was
being wasted on those who had only a mind for a moment of pleasure.
And though he truly was worried – after all, Shinya was his little cousin (being four years younger) and
best friend at court – Kaoru wondered if maybe he was refusing to leave for other reasons. Or, specifically, a red-
haired reason which now stood, awkwardly shifting its weight, by Shinya’s bed and seemed to be engrossed with Shinya’s bed
covers. The dark eyes of Die had haunted his imagination since that morning, and even now Kaoru could see the quiet pleading
for someone, anyone, to believe him. The prayer to spare their lives. Kaoru hated knowing that he had such power over
another human’s life; he always had and likely always would, though his own father and grandfather had never seemed to mind.
Now that all the healers were gone, the silence weighed heavily on them, but Kaoru made no gesture to dissipate it. Die
and Toshiya were hesitant and unsure, and obviously very out of their natural environment. Neither seemed to know what to
make of their situation, or how to act now that they were in it, and both looked very nervous. Still, Kaoru didn’t know what
to say to make them feel comfortable – he’d never had to bother with that before; usually it was someone worried about making
him comfortable. As he cast about for something to say, glancing at Die frequently from the cover of his hair, Kaoru
wondered absently if they would be willing to stay.
“What are your names?” he asked suddenly, quietly, looking up from Shinya’s pale face as he idly brushed away some of the
soft locks from his cousin’s forehead. Kyo’s eyes opened slowly as the movement alerted him from his half-asleep state, and
Kaoru pressed down on them lightly, coaxing the jester back to sleep. Kyo gave a muted grumble, but obeyed quickly, never
having been one to miss a chance to get extra sleep. The Prince didn’t miss the look of longing on Toshiya’s face and he
frowned slightly. How long had it been since either had had someone to care for them? Someone to worry about their well
being, if nothing else? What were their owners like? Were they well treated? How many executions should he be signing if
they weren’t? There were so many questions running through his head that Kaoru nearly missed Die’s reply.
“Begging your pardon, your Highness?” asked the redhead, surprised.
The prince blinked at them, mildly annoyed, and quirked an eyebrow, “Your names – your real ones. You do have them, don’t
you? What are they? I’d like to know who my cousin saved from the gallows.” //I want to know who you are to be so damn
beautiful ... Who you are to make me want to keep you.// Kaoru kicked himself mentally – he was not supposed to be
thinking like that now.
“I’m sorry, your Highness,” the redhead said quickly bowing, “It was ... unexpected ... and we are very grateful, please
do not think that we aren’t. I am Ando Daisuke. This is my, er, partner and friend, Hara Toshimasa.”
“Then ‘Die’ and ‘Toshiya’ are aliases? Or stage names?”
“Yes, your Highness,” Die nodded.
Kaoru nodded slightly, looked back down at Shinya and Kyo, then leaned over the little table. He waved at the long couch
that his cousin loved dearly with one hand and pulled on a long chord with the other, “Please, both of you, sit. You’re
making me nervous standing over there like that.”
“Sit, your Highness?” Toshiya asked dumbly.
“Yes, sit. You do know how to, don’t you? What is a couch for if not sitting?” Kaoru said, and tugged the chord by
Shinya’s bed again, more impatiently.
Toshiya and Die, not sure if the prince was angry at them or not, shuffled to the couch, heads bowed, and sat hesitantly.
They jumped up immediately when a chamberlain rushed into the room like guilty children with their hands caught in a cookie
jar. The prince tried not to cringe, but ultimately failed. If they were that nervous about a chair, what reaction would
they have to his offer?
“My lord?” the chamberlain asked, bowing. To his credit, he did not give Toshiya or Die the same disgusted looks they’d
received from everyone else. The elderly man went up a few extra notches on Kaoru’s mental ladder of servants he actually
liked.
“Gather Shinya’s maids, please, and have them prepare baths and new garments for Daisuke and Toshimasa. They will be
staying here until Shinya has decided what to do with them and I will not have them wearing their ... street clothes.”
“Very good, my lord,” the elderly man bowed again and disappeared as quickly and quietly as he had come.
Die opened his mouth, looking like he wanted to protest, but Toshiya elbowed him sharply, causing the redhead to yelp
quietly. He glared at his friend, who stuck his tongue out quickly. Neither realized that Kaoru was watching them until he
spoke.
“I like him. He has common sense,” the prince grinned; Toshiya blushed brightly and tried to hide his face. “Please,”
Kaoru continued, “you must remember that when I give things away, I’m used to them being received with immense gratitude and
words of absolute devotion. I might throw a hissy fit if you say no to them.”
Die joined Toshiya in blushing awkwardly, neither knowing what to say but both offering muttered apologies and thanks.
At that moment however, the room was suddenly filled with chattering maids who converged around them to take their
measurements and quickly ushered them out. Kaoru watched them leave, his eyes trained on Die’s swinging hips as he walked
obediently to the baths. His peripheral vision saw Toshiya dragging his feet – uneager to leave Shinya’s bedside, and he
made a mental note of what implications could be drawn from it. But then Die had disappeared into the baths and without
quite knowing how, Kaoru found himself halfway after them.
//No! This is not right, this is not good. You should be staying with Shinya, making sure he’s okay. You should not be
following the unbearably sexy redhead, you should not be wondering if he’s as strong as he looks, you should not be thinking
about what you want his hands to do rather than caressing that towel ... Why are you still following him? Bad Kaoru! Bad
legs! No treat for you!//
But for all of his mental chiding, Kaoru walked into the baths and looked around, hoping for some clue as to where Die
had gotten to. The maids were pulling the privacy curtains around two of the four tubs as he entered, but stopped what they
were doing to bow hurriedly to him as soon as he was spotted.
“Can I serve you, mi’Lord?” one of the elderly women asked.
“Tell me, ‘Baa-chan,” Kaoru’s eyes darted around quickly and he lowered his voice, “The young men who were brought in
here. There was a red haired one, was there not?”
“Yes, mi’Lord.”
“Which of the baths is he in?”
“He’s right over there, mi’Lord. In that one,” she gestured to the tub farthest from the door, “Would you have me bring
him here?”
“No, no. Don’t trouble him. Dismiss those you have placed in care of him. I wish to speak with him alone. But leave the
cleaning products -- I would not interrupt his bath.”
“Good, mi’Lord.”
Kaoru smiled and nodded to her, watching as she scurried off to obey his orders. Sometimes there really was an upside to
being the prince. Within minutes the five maids who had been hovering around Die’s bath were gone, and Toshiya was being
attended to all the way at the other end of the large room. Leaving him relatively alone with the redhead. Kaoru licked his
lips, and silently padded to the privacy curtain, parting it slowly. Die was sitting on the ledge of the huge tub, kicking
his legs a little as he waited for the maids to return. Kaoru dragged his eyes over the bare skin exposed to him, wondering
all the while what it tasted like.
“Daisuke?”
“Your Highness!” the prostitute leapt up from the warm water, and instinctively tried to bow. But he lost his footing on
the slick porcelain tiles that lined the tub and wound up falling on Kaoru instead, bringing them both to the bottom in a
tangle of limbs and cloth; though luckily not under the water, it rather hurt as Kaoru fell on the ledge and broke the
redhead’s fall.
“Your Highness! Are you hurt? Forgive me, please, your Highness, I -- ” Die’s voice faded away in confusion, and he
stared down at the two fingers placed lightly against his lips.
“None of that, Daisuke. It’s my fault. I should have warned you that I was coming. Okay? No more apologies for today,”
the pink haired prince murmured, smiling gently.
Die nodded dumbly, and shrank back into the covering protection of the water self-consciously. Kaoru cocked his head to
one side as he took off his outer robe and tunic shirt, sure that he had seen a blush spread across the redhead’s fair
cheeks. Die quickly looked down at the rippling water.
“Why are you looking away? Is something wrong?” Kaoru asked.
“N-no, your Highness. But I was taught to never gaze directly upon royalty. We are unworthy of such a thing.”
“You say that as if it were a privilege,” the prince muttered, easing out of his pants and setting them aside with his
other clothes. He picked up the bar of soap and dipped it into the water, lathering lightly.
“It is, your Highness.”
“Stop, please, Daisuke. No more fancy titles. My name is Kaoru and if I have to I will order you to call me that.”
“I’m so – ”
”Ah, ah, ah! What did I say about apologies?”
Die was silent. He peeked up at the steadily approaching prince, but swiftly brought his gaze to the water. “... No
more,” he said at last, sounding mildly embarrassed, “You said ‘no more apologies for today’.”
The prince had to stifle a laugh at hearing his own words quoted. He hadn’t expected Die to take him so seriously as to
memorize everything he said. He did feel bad, though – just a little – because he hadn’t meant to sound as if he was
reprimanding a naught child.
“And I meant it,” Kaoru said firmly. He motioned slightly with his hand, “Now, come here. We can’t have me doing
all the work in this relationship.” And he almost laughed as he saw Die’s chest hitch slightly.
The redhead shuffled forward, stopping just an arm’s length away from the prince, his gaze trained, fascinated, on the
water as it swished around his body. Kaoru studied Die leisurely, taking in the way the water drops glistened as they ran
down the toned muscles of his chest. He reached out and grasped Die’s chin gently, tilting the fair face upwards, forcing
the young man to look him in the eyes.
“You must be very popular. You are beautiful.”
Die’s eyes flashed with something unidentifiable, but he didn’t say anything. Kaoru smiled gently at him, hoping to show
that he was sincere. He walked around behind the young prostitute, letting his hand trail over the warm, smooth skin, and
pressed himself as close as he dared.
“Let me wash your back?” he murmured lowly into Die’s ear, grinning at the feeling of the shuddering muscles under his
hands. He pressed his lips oh-so-lightly to the nape of Die’s neck, soaping his hands and rubbing them over the expanse of
exposed skin. The redhead moaned softly, failing miserably in his attempt to stifle it, when Kaoru’s hands rubbed over one
of the more tense areas. “You’re so tight!” Kaoru exclaimed, and could feel the body under his hands go rigid, “You need a
massage.”
“N-no, really, I’m all right your – uh, Kaoru-sama.”
Kaoru clucked his tongue in mock disappointment, pushing Die towards the ledge as he spoke, “That won’t work on me. You
need a massage, and you’re going to get one. So sit on the ledge here and relax.”
And Die had no choice but to comply as Kaoru pushed him down and attacked his neck. The redhead sighed as his tense
muscles were relaxed by strong hands. Just how long had it been since he’d had a chance to relax like this? And when would
he ever have the chance to be relaxed by such a gorgeous, absolutely fuckable person with such talented hands? Die absently
wondered what Kaoru’s hands would feel like elsewhere on his body. He wondered if Kaoru was as good at kissing as he was at
massaging. Maybe the prince had a really talented tongue, too ... the redhead felt the blood rush down to his groin at the
thought, and cursed himself mentally.
//Shit!// he thought, his eyes opening widely, //He’s going to have you killed for this if he finds out!
//
But Kaoru, in a rare moment of diplomacy, pretended he didn’t see Die cross his legs to try and hide his slowly hardening
erection. He continued to massage Die’s body, hands deftly loosening the knotted muscles of the redhead’s back. Truthfully,
it was taking all of his will power not to allow himself to get hard – the absolute last thing he wanted was to scare the
redhead away. But then ... Die was getting hard himself ... Kaoru smiled wickedly and lowered his hands slowly down the
redhead’s sides, loosening the muscles there, his cock beginning to twitch as Die made breathy sounds. The prince slid his
fingers up lightly, sending the redhead squirming, his back brushing against Kaoru’s thighs. The pink haired man shuddered,
unable to contain the flash of excitement that coursed through him or the resulting moan.
“Die ... ” he hissed.
“Your – uh, Kaoru-sama?” Die squeaked.
Kaoru let his hands trail down over the redhead’s sides again, eliciting more squirms from the other man. He leaned over
so his mouth was pressed close to Die’s ear, snaking his tongue out to lick along the shell of it.
“Die ... can I ... let me touch you?”
~chapter two ga owarimashita~
Notes And so the lemon begins ... to be completed in the next, and last, chapter. Don'tcha hate cliffhangers? XD